The Second Terrier
by Sherlock River Hekate
Summary: Beka and Master Farmer have a daughter. And she is as much of a trouble maker as her mother. Post Mastiff, so Mastiff spoilers. Non cannon. More characters than listed. Beka, Tunstall, Sabine, Goodwin, Farmer, Rosto and OC.


I lay on my back, staring at the dark leaves. I know that I asked to do this, that I wanted this. Yet there was still a part of me that screamed that this was dangerous, no matter that with me I had the finest Dogs in all of Corus, a mage and a lady knight. And this was a family holiday! It was only a camp in the woods after all.

I sighed and roll over towards the fire, more for the warmth than the light, even though the flames were pretty. Only then did I notice how cold I really was. My traitorous body decided it would start to shake at that moment. I pulled my blanket closer around me, but it seemed to no avail. I glanced around me, seeing Goodwin and Sabine laughing over something, probably Tunstall from the look on his face. My mother, Beka, and my father, Farmer, were talking a little way off. This was my family, minus the Lord Provost and Clary Goodwin's husband Tomlan. I smile, but that doesn't ward off the cold. I contemplated walking to my father and asking for a little mage magic to keep me warm, but then I remembered all the hunts my companions had been on. If they could survive fires, armed attacks and more, then a little cold wouldn't hurt me.

I got up and walked a bit closer to the flames, and as I sat down Matthias Tunstall sat down next to me. I look at him, wondering why he'd come over here, away from his lady.  
"You look cold," he whispered to me, putting an arm around my shaking shoulders.  
"I am a bit," I admitted, "Not that I'm complaining!" I added quickly.  
He smiled, realising my thoughts. "Melody, just because we have been on hunts, doesn't mean you need prove yourself now," He told me, "or suffer the cursed cold." I smiled, remembering the pain he got in his legs. I moved closer to him, for warmth and so I could give him a hug.  
"Thank you," I whispered, and then practised a trick Pa had taught me the other day. I quickly pulled one knife from his belt, holding it still by my side. He hadn't noticed straight off, but I knew it wouldn't be long before he did. I offered him the weapon, the blade in my hand. He gaped at me, and then smiled.  
"Where'd you learn that trick missy?" he asked me slyly.  
"Now why would I tell you, an honest dog, such a thing?" I replied taunting him.  
He chuckled, a deep and soothing sound. "You sound like Rosto," He chuckled again, "No doubt he taught you that little trick."  
I smiled as a reply and lay my head against his chest, something I used to do when I was younger. At some point I must have fallen asleep.

I awoke to sun in my eyes, and birds tweeting incessantly in my ears. I groped for a rock to throw at them, and then realised why it sounded so familiar. It was the sound of pigeons, and under that, I thought I could hear whispers. I stood up, trying to straighten my dust, wrinkled clothes. Carefully I scanned the countryside around me. My mother was standing a little way off, a flock of birds around her feet. I had two choices, go over and assist my mother with her work for the black god, or walk in the opposite direction and have breakfast. Despite my rumbling stomach, I moved to my mother's side. I didn't hear anything though, as they finished and flew off just as I reached her. Ma turned and drew me close to her, hugging me like she did when I was still small.  
What's wrong?" I whisper into her into her clothing.  
"Oh Melody," she whispered hoarsely, "I'm glad you can take care of yourself." I knew she was crying but I also knew better than to mention it.

All through breakfast, Ma looked haunted, and knew what the ghosts had told her wasn't good. I looked at the faces of those around me, particularly Pa and her partner's. They'd all seen her like this before, and they knew what it meant. I opened my mouth to ask, my curiosity overriding everything else. My mouth suddenly shut, like someone putting their hand over it. I glanced at Pa, seeing the faintest blue lines around his fingers, and he shook his head at me. I took the warning, realising that if it really was something big, ma would tell all of us in the correct time.

It was midday before my inquisitiveness got an answer. We were all sitting around, preparing for our lunch. Sabine and Tunstall had taken me out, trying to teach me to hunt food. Though in reality, I think it was more Sabine trying to teach the both of us. For someone so good at catching Rats, Tunstall is terrible when it comes to hunting food. We did come back successful, with a few guinea fowls. Pa and Goodwin were plucking the birds, which were to be roasted over the fire, if I could ever light one.  
Ma cleared her throat, the smallest of sounds, but one I'd learnt from when I was little.  
"Would anyone mind if we shortened the trip?" she asked, looking from one of us to the other, "Or, if I returned to Corus this afternoon?"  
I would mind both scenarios, but she wouldn't have asked if it wasn't important. I waited patiently, hoping someone would ask the question I was too scared to ask, why?  
As if to answer my plea, Tunstall spoke up.  
"Beka," he looked straight at her, "Why are you suddenly desperate to go back? This is meant to be your leave as much as it is mine and Clara's."  
I had to put in a question now, knowing it had to have some link. "Ma," I whisper, then clear my throat and start a bit louder, "Does this have something to with the pigeon's that you were talking to this morning?"  
She looked at me, and for the briefest of seconds I thought she smiled.  
"Yes," she replied finally, "It's about what I heard from one of them."  
We all looked up at that. Pa made a move to go to her side, but halted just before reaching her. There was a sense of something bad, and we all wanted to know what.  
"One of them was the ghost of a young mot, barely more than 5," she stopped, her voice catching, and I think we all knew something bad was coming.  
"She told me her ma's cove killed her," she started.  
"That's not all that unusual," Tunstall interrupted, "Has happened before." He stopped there, partially from the look in my mother's cold grey eyes and partially from the hand his lady put in his arm. But mostly from Ma's eyes. No one can stand those eyes when she's angry. Evil eyes some call them; I just know that looks means I'm in trouble.  
"What is unusual," Ma continued, as if her partner had never interrupted her, "is that she heard him say something about this only being the first."  
I looked up at that, until then it had sounded like a classic case of the child's Ma having some fun and the cove not wanting to deal with a child that wasn't his own. However, that last sentenced changed everything. The first what? The first killing? I didn't know, but something made my tripes knot. And Ma and Pa told me right from the start, never ignore that feeling.

It didn't take us long after lunch to pack up our campsite. I felt sad knowing we were going home, but I knew they needed to solve this mystery. I sighed sadly, knowing I wouldn't see much of my mother until this was done. It wasn't a new concept to me, she'd been on many hunts and such since I was born, but I still missed her. I suspected, most other times, Pa's help would be needed too. Usually in these cases, I was sent either to the Dancing Dove, or the Provost's house. I much preferred staying with Rosto and Aniki, but with Rosto being the Rogue, sometimes that wasn't an option. I wondered this time I if was old enough to stay and take care of myself. I doubted this scenario though. It wasn't that my parents didn't trust me, or that they thought I couldn't take care of myself when in danger, it was just that they prefer that they knew I was safe.  
"Melody," Pa addressed me, taking my hand to help me onto my horse.  
"Yes Pa?" I replied, thinking more about what I was doing than what he was saying.  
"Would you prefer the Dove, or the Provost house?"  
I sighed, knowing that any hope I had of staying home just flew out the window.  
"I know how much you admire Lady Teodorie" He said, smiling at the horrified look I gave him.  
"I'd much rather the Dancing Dove," I reply, knowing that Rosto would be there if the choice was being given to me.  
"I figured," he sighed dramatically, and I giggled. "My daughter would rather stay with thieves and rushers than royalty. Whatever am I going to do with you?"  
I smiled as he swung himself onto his horse. "You'll let me stay so long as I come back with a new trick?" I say innocently, trying my hardest to look like a little angel.  
"You bet, my gorgeous little girl," he replies and starts off, not bothering to check if I'm following behind.

A week passed before Ma even got a scent of what she was after, unfortunately that was after another death. Only two days after that I was sent to the Dancing Dove. I wasted my days by finding hiding places and listening into conversations, telling Rosto or Ma anything of relevance that I heard, and learning little tricks from Aniki and healing tips off Kora. I may not be strong enough to be classed as a hedgewitch, but the little bit of Gift I inherited was enough to do basic healings.

I lost track of the how many days passed while Ma was away. Often she'd come in late at night, exhausted, dirty and no further along. Any time she came in, I went to her, asking Aniki or Rosto to wake me if she arrived while I was sleeping. Often we just talked, though she was never there long. It was evident that mostly she just wanted to go home and sleep, and I didn't begrudge her that. I hardly went into the main market place, Rosto not wanting to risk my safety, or Ma's wrath if anything happened. I did ask once, and Rosto replied that he'd rather face the King of Tortall for treason than tell my mother that I'd been hurt. We both laughed at that, yet I didn't know how close a threat to my safety actually was.

I woke late that day, having been up into the early hours of the morning talking with Ma about her case. She'd had a breakthrough and we talked out the details. I knew Ma was close to catching the Rat who'd killed four gixies in as many weeks. I would be glad when he was off the streets and in the Dog's cage. I wandered downstairs, heading for the kitchen but still thinking about what mum had told me. I walked into the small kitchen, heading for the concealed pantry to make my own food. I looked around, noticing there was one other person in there. He didn't look like anyone I'd seen in there before, but I did know him. He was one of Rosto's rushers, a trusted one from what I could remember.  
"Melody right?" he smiled at me, and I noticed a scar running from his check to his jawline.  
"Yea," I replied, still slightly suspicious of his being in the kitchen.  
"I was just making myself some food," he volunteered, "Do you want to share an omelette?"  
I contemplated that idea and agreed, seeing a way of getting food without having to prepare it myself. We sat down to eat, the food wafting to me and making my stomach growl. I smiled and started to eat. The herbs were fresh and the omelette tasted better than I thought it would, considering that it was made by a cove and a Rat at that. There was something that bit at my tongue, not quite what I expected. I took another bite, and then something Ma had said to me came back. 'Beware of anything that tastes bitter, it has more than likely been poisoned.' I went to spit my mouthful out, but my muscles wouldn't respond. Then nothing.

I tried to open my eyes, but nothing happened. I started to panic, only to realise my eyes had opened, but to total darkness. I felt cold, slimy rock under my face and my hands and feet were tied together at odd angles. I lay on my side, assessing my situation. I was hogtied, in a dark cellar. I wasn't sure how long I'd been out, but I doubted very much that I was outside the walls of Corus. It wouldn't take long before someone in the Court of the Rogue noticed I was missing, and he needed to be there to throw suspicion off of himself. I roll on my hip very gently, seeing if I could feel the blade I keep on my hip. It's a thin blade, expertly concealed in my clothing, a trick Ma had taught me when I was old enough to handle a blade without cutting myself. Sure enough, there was a slight pressure, just where the blade should be. I smile, then set to work trying to work the blade from my clothing into my hand.

I have no idea how long it took me to get the blade free. It could have been hours, it could have been minutes. I was tempted to send out a thread of magic to feel for someone, but quickly decided that was a bad idea. The magic would leave traces, and from what I'd heard, there was a mage working with the cove. The mage would be easily able to track it back to me, and then prevent me from using my magic at all. I contended myself with the task of trying to cut the ropes around my limbs. I couldn't let my mind wander; knowing that one slip of the blade could cut me and make things worse. The rope was thick, and the knots expertly tied and not giving an inch. The task took even longer than it should have owing to my need to stop every few minutes to rest my hand. The cramps made it hard for me to move, and often I wanted to scream out in pain. I stopped for a break, a headache threatening.

I woke again, the headachy feeling gone but my hands and legs still tied. I wanted to give in, to cry. I knew exactly why I was here, because Ma was getting close, because I knew what was going on. He knew I'd figure it out eventually, so by getting rid of me he bought himself more time. I wondered why he hadn't killed me yet, then it dawned on me. He could get all the Dogs to back off, and keep the Court of the Rogue from getting him. Another, worse, thought hit me, he could topple Rosto as Rogue without a fight, all because I was enough of a looby to not realise I was being poisoned. I hung my head in shame, deserving whatever came my way. I started, something soft and furry touching my cheek. I opened my mouth to scream, but I heard a voice I knew in my head.  
"Ssssh," Pounce whispered, "It's only me."  
I nearly started crying, this time from delight.  
"Oh Pounce," I cry, not even bothering to think it to him, "I'm so glad you're here!"  
"You know I can't help you out of the ropes?" He clarified, brushing up against my hands.  
"I know," I said softer, "but it's a comfort to know you're here."  
Pounce placed the blade back into my hands, encouraging me to keep going. I kept at it this time, only stopping for the cramps in my hands, which happened less than before. I wanted to ask the cat if it was his doing, but decided it wasn't that important.

After an immeasurable amount of time, I had my hands free. I stretched and rolled to sitting. As I righted myself, the world decided to spin. I clutched my stomach, willing myself not to heave. Slowly the feeling passed, and I tried to look around. As much as my eyes had adjusted to the darkness, there wasn't anything to see. The only entrance and exit was a small stairway, with a strong door. I knew better than to think the door was unlocked. If it was anything like ours at home, it was double locked and charmed. If it was anything like one of Rosto's, it was locked about ten times, and mage charmed. I didn't expect anything along the lines of the Dancing Dove, but I thought it'd be at least as protected as our cellar.  
"Pounce," I said, a bad thought coming to me, "Has anyone even noticed I'm gone?"  
He looked at me, jumping onto my lap. He settled there before he replied.  
"Of course they've noticed," he told me, purring softly. "Rosto's going crazy. He's using all the power he has as Rogue. And Kora's pulled Ersken into the search. She's trying to track your magic."  
I opened my mouth to speak, but Pounce already knew what I was going to say. "You were right not to use your Gift," he brushed my cheek with his head, "they have the room spelled."  
Happy in the knowledge people were looking, I started on freeing my feet.

My stomach grumbled unhappily, and I realised I hadn't eaten a proper meal since supper last night. In the back of my mind I wondered what the time of the day it was, but I was more focussed on thinking of a way out.  
"It's about 4 in the afternoon," Pounce interrupted my thoughts. I jumped, so caught up in my own thoughts that I had forgotten his presence. By my calculations, that means I'd been down here for about 6 hours. I wasn't entirely sure where the time had gone, but I was sure that someone would be getting close to finding me.  
"Pounce," I started, "He's going to come back for me isn't he?"  
Pounce just looked at me with his intelligent purple eyes.  
"I'm going to have to fight him to get out. There's only the one entrance and exit."  
I talk to Pounce, more to think my plan out that to ask his advice. I knew he couldn't interfere with anything in the mortal world, but having someone to talk to made me feel better.  
"I have my blade," I continued, "but he's likely to have a longer, better blade." I stop, thinking that I'd heard a noise. It came again, a creaking of floor boards above me. I freeze, unsure of what to do. I hear thumps like footsteps down stairs, and I make a split second decision. I go to the furthest corner of the room, hoping the darkness will buy me some time. I couldn't beat him with a fair fight, but that didn't mean I couldn't beat him. Pa always taught me that it your opponent often thinks you are sillier than you are, and often it is better if you play along. My opponent thought I knew something, but he didn't know about the blade or my little bit of magic.

"Where are you?" He shouted into the darkness, "Where are you, you little wench?" I balked at his voice, my heart beating just that little bit faster. I slip my blade into my boot, the handle resting against my leg. I took a breath in, and readied myself for attack. He walked further into the dark cellar, trying to find me in the darkness. I panicked when I realised he was coming straight towards me, and I know I couldn't move. I heard a noise on the opposite side of the room, and he turned towards where the noise came from. I saw the faintest glitter of purple, and I knew Pounce was looking out for me. I inched towards the door, the fool having left it wide open. I hoped that I could cross the room before he realised it was just a cat, but I doubted I would be that lucky. I was only half way along the wall when he saw Pounce.  
"Stupid cat," he hissed, and I could see a blade in his hand. He would come for me in a second, and I knew I needed to make the first move.  
"Who are you?" I asked, not needing to try very hard to make my voice quaver. Unlike he would think, it wasn't from fear.  
"You don't need to know who I am," he replied turning towards me.  
I remind myself that I'm playing the looby, and I bite back the angry reply that was on my tongue.  
"What do you want from me?" I let my voice crack, "I haven't done something bad have I?" I pout just a little, not sure if it will help my cause or not.  
"Your Ma will realise she's messing with the wrong cove," he crept towards me, "and just kidnapping you won't give her enough of a scare."  
I finally hear the sound of the voice clearly, and I realise that it isn't the rusher that kidnapped me. I realised that gave me both an advantage, and a disadvantage. I didn't know how well he fought, but he didn't know about my magic. I figured the odds were pretty even, maybe even tilting to my advantage. I savage smile flashes across my face, and I knew that for a split second I would have looked exactly like my mother. 

I waited for him to come a little closer, and I gripped the handle of my blade. I thrust my blade into his sword hand, between his wrist and his hand. He screamed, a savage sound, and dropped the weapon. I yanked my blade free and, using a fighting trick Tunstall had shown me, ran headlong into his stomach. I dropped to the ground and rolled as he doubled over in pain. I stumbled to my feet, and looked for something heavy. Not too heavy, as I was hungry and tired and didn't have the strength to lift anything much. There was a small bock of wood lying on the ground and I lunged for it, hoping that it wasn't attached to anything. It lifted easily enough and I swung around, aiming for the back of his head. He'd straightened and turned around, so the wood hit him in the jaw. He cursed, words I'd not even heard from Tunstall at his angriest. I took a few steps backward, shifting my grip on the piece of wood. I wasn't sure how to proceed from here, having the disadvantage when it came to hand to hand combat. I looked the cove up and down, and I noticed something unusual about him. He didn't have a trace of mage magic on him, he didn't have the look of one who'd been mage healed, and he didn't carry any visible charms. I took a bet, hoping I was right.  
"Don't come any closer," I hissed.  
"Or what?" he challenged, knowing he had the advantage currently.  
I took a breath and reached inside myself. "Or I will restrain you." I hoped that my vague comment would keep him talking and give me more time to gather my magic from deep inside myself where I'd hidden it.  
He snarled at me, and I noticed he'd wrapped something around his wrist to stem the flow of blood. "How do you think you'll restrain me?" I heard him gasp slightly, "You're just a silly little mot whose Ma loves you too much. Just like all the others."  
I laughed bitterly. "I'm more of my Pa's child actually, "I replied as I let thin tendrils of magic snaked around his ankles.  
He tried to take a step toward me, but the magic held him in place. He looked down at his legs, a look of horror spreading across his face as he saw the threads winding their way up his legs. I dropped the sword he was holding in his uninjured hand and tried to claw at the magic with both his hands.  
I took advantage of his distraction, moving behind him where I had a better position. I steadied myself, then raised the wooden block that I was still holding. I swung it, flinching as it connected with his head, in just the same place as I'd seen Goodwin, Tunstall and Ma do before. He crumpled to the ground and I let my making snake back to me.

I checked for a pulse, and found it there, steady and strong. I knew I wouldn't be able to restrain him with the rope he had used on me. I sighed unhappily, realising that the best way to restrain him would be to use some more magic. I let the tendrils wrap around his hands first and then his feet, tying themselves together in a messy knot. I felt drained, knowing that I wouldn't have the strength to get back to the Dancing Dove, or the Kennel and keep him restrained. I summoned the last of my magic. In desperation I flung it out to Pa with a scream, hoping he'd be able to recognise my magic and trace it back.

I wasn't sure how long I'd been sitting there, perched on the top step of the cellar. I didn't want to stay in the dark any longer, but I couldn't just leave him alone. At some point Pounce had disappeared, to go where I didn't know but I hoped it was to find someone. I heard voices shouting down the street, and I strained my ears to hear what they were saying. Segments of sentences floated to me on the wind. I started smiling when I heard a voice I recognised. I wasn't sure if they would hear me if I started shouting, but I tried anyway.  
"KORA!" I screamed, "I'M IN HERE!" I knew she didn't have any idea where 'here' was but I thought that at least she might hear me. I yelled again, repeating her name over and over. Finally I hear her call back.  
"MELODY," my smile spreads across my face as relief floods through me.  
"KORA," I yell again. "IN HERE. HERE!" I heard a door swing in, and crash against the wall. I take a breath and hope desperately that it's a friend, and not another member of the plot.  
"I'M BACK HERE," I shout, my fingers crossed that it was someone friendly.  
Kora and Aniki walk towards me and if I had been standing, I would have collapsed from relief. Kora knelt down next to me, checking to see if I was ok. I was tempted to show her my wrists, but I had to get someone to detain the Rat in the cellar.  
"Aniki," I started as Kora caught a glimpse of my red wrists. "There's a cove down there, a bad guy." I sounded childish to even my own ears. "Can you please hobble him?" She nods, but I can see she has a question.  
"How is he being detained now?" She asked, looking straight at me.  
"Well," I begin, "He was unconscious. But I'm using magic."  
She and Kora were aware I had a little bit of Gift, but when I said that Kora looked up at me sharply.  
"Melody," she asked in surprise, "How long have you been here waiting?"  
I shook my head, at loss to an amount of time. "No idea," I tell her, "sorry."  
She shot a look at Aniki and the other woman went bounding down the stairs faster than I'd ever seen her move before. Kora dropped my wrists, having decided there wasn't much she could do here. She sat back on her heels at looked at me curiously.  
"Can you end the magic you're using?" she asks. I close my eyes and try to feel where all the magic had gone. I imagine the threads being reeled back to me, soaking back into my skin. I suddenly felt very tired. Kora knew I'd pulled my magic back. She would have been able to feel it. I closed my eyes, momentarily, but I had trouble opening them again.  
"It's ok. Sleep, you've used a tremendous amount of energy." Kora whispered, at least I think that's what she said.

I have no idea how long after, though it would have to have been only minutes later, I felt warmth spreading through my body. I vaguely remembered the comforting weight of a hand on my arm, and then heat flooding my body. I suddenly felt awake and very full of energy. I opened my eyes to see my father staring intently at me. He swept me into his arms and held me, just like he used to when I was a little gixie.  
"Where is he, Pa?" I asked.  
"About to be taken to the kennels," he told me, "in Jane Street." He added, anticipating my next question.  
I had a new question to ask though. "Can I go down with them?"  
Pa looked at me, a mixture of thoughts and emotions crossing his face. I looked at him, pleading with my eyes. He gave in with a sigh, but I could tell that he didn't really mind.  
"I suppose you can, Ersken and Kora will take care of you." He patted me on the head and turned me towards the door.  
"Thank you," I smiled at him and then rushed out the door.

We walked into the Kennels, me beside Ersken and our captive stumbling in front of us. Ahuda looked up from her paperwork.  
"Westover, what have got?" She barked in her usual way. The she stopped when she saw me. "Melody, what are you doing here?" she asked in surprise.


End file.
